Northern Beaches does the double over Coffs Breakers as both men and women triumph
Northern Beaches do the double over Coffs Breakers as women snap six game losing streak against last year’s champions.
Coffs Harbour
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Northern Beaches Blues men’s and women’s sides have announced themselves as premiership contenders after statement wins at the weekend.
The Blues senior men snapped Coffs Harbour Breakers’ eight game winning streak with a 20-point win over the AFL North Coast leaders despite heading into quarter time 10 points adrift.
Coffs Harbour have been in fine form all season but were quickly outplayed as the Blues went on to score 10 of the next 13 goals.
Meanwhile the Northern Beaches women triumphed over the Breakers for the first time in seven games, with a single goal the difference between the sides.
Northern Beaches president Glen Golsby-Smith said he was really pleased with how far the teams come in such a short space of time and while they “won’t get carried away”, the wins put them in good stead heading into the back end of the season.
The Blues sit second on the ladder in both competitions.
“The big clubs are the ones you want to beat and I am really pleased not only by the way they played but by the way they carried themselves as well,” Golsby-Smith said.
“We are certainly pleased we can play at that the level against the top teams.”
Given how long Coffs Harbour had got the better of their northern rivals, Golsby Smith said it was an important win for the women in particular.
“They are pretty happy with themselves,” he said.
“(Coffs Harbour) have been the benchmark and we have been getting closer and closer and they pulled it off.”
In a remarkable example of synchronicity, the top four spots in both the men's and the women’s competitions are identical, with Coffs Harbour Breakers leading, Northern Beaches second, newcomers Lismore third and Port Macquarie fourth.
With just five rounds remaining the next few games will be critical and Northern Beaches next face Sawtell/Toormina Saints at Richardson Park.
ROUND 9 RESULTS
Men
Northern Beaches 14.7 (91) def Coffs Breakers 10.11 (71)
Port Macquarie 12.18 (90) def Lismore Swans 4.1 (25)
Sawtell/Toormina 10.11 (71) def Nambucca Valley 10.6 (66)
Grafton 25.26 (176) def Casino Lions 7.1 (43)
Women
Northern Beaches 5.3 (33) def Coffs Breakers 4.3 (27)
Lismore Swans 3.1 (19) def Port Macquarie 0.6 (6)
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